Do Ha Uyen, a Ho Chi Minh City resident who has been a California Fitness & Yoga member since 2014, told VietNamNet that her membership remains valid until June 2027. However, branches near her home and workplace have closed, making it difficult to maintain her regular workout schedule.

Over the past three months, members at several Ho Chi Minh City branches have also stopped receiving towels and drinking water, despite these services being included in their membership packages. Restrooms and shower facilities have reportedly not been cleaned regularly.

"My personal trainer told me he hasn't been paid for three months. During yoga classes, members have even been asked to contribute money to support instructors because they haven't received their salaries," Uyen said.

With services increasingly disrupted, she decided to give up her membership, sell her remaining 20 personal training sessions to another member and move to a different gym chain in Ho Chi Minh City.

Another member, Bich Thuy, purchased an Iconic membership package for more than $3,800 in early September.

According to Thuy, the salesperson assured her that the branches would continue operating normally and that her membership would allow her to work out at any location, use swimming pools, receive complimentary towels and access car parking facilities.

On October 24, Thuy arrived at California Fitness & Yoga's Thao Dien branch at 6 a.m. for her usual workout. By 8 p.m. that evening, she received a notice announcing that several branches, including Cali Thao Dien, Cali Landmark, Cali Tower and Gigamall, would temporarily close from October 24 to 30 due to operational issues.

The following day, the Cali 3/2 and Cali Thu Duc branches also announced temporary suspensions.

"The salesperson told me I could go to branches that were still open, such as Cali Aeon Mall Binh Tan and Cali Binh Duong Square. But they're far too inconvenient for both my home and workplace. I don't know what to do with my membership now," she said.

Thuy said some of her friends were facing even more difficult circumstances.

"One friend bought a lifetime membership and has only been using it for about a year. Others purchased packages through installment plans. Their services have been cut off, but they still have to make monthly principal and interest payments to the banks. They're in an even worse position than I am," she said.

On social media, members in other areas, including Vung Tau and Nha Trang, have been posting offers to transfer unused personal training sessions after their gyms suspended operations.

Many have expressed frustration that so many branches closed within days of the company's leadership publicly apologizing and promising to address service problems.

Some members have begun collecting contracts, payment receipts and other documents to explore possible legal action.

Since October 27, several social media groups have been established to share information and coordinate documentation. One group in Hanoi has attracted more than 600 members, while another in Ho Chi Minh City has nearly 230.

Employees have also raised concerns about delayed salaries and commissions.

B.K., a personal trainer at California Fitness & Yoga Centers in Ho Chi Minh City, recently posted online that he had not received his full salary and commissions since July.

According to K., the company had previously informed employees that outstanding payments would be settled by October 25 at the latest.

However, management subsequently announced that it could not meet the deadline because procedures related to an investment deal were taking longer than expected.

Company executives said a cash flow restructuring plan was still underway to maintain operations and address outstanding obligations. They also insisted that investors had not abandoned the business.

Nevertheless, the widespread branch closures have left K. and his colleagues increasingly anxious. They are still waiting for their wages while dealing with mounting complaints from members.

According to a list published by Ho Chi Minh City Social Security on October 9, California Fitness & Yoga Centers had fallen behind on more than $343,000 in social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance contributions covering 416 employees.

The overdue payments spanned seven months as of the end of September 2026.

California Fitness & Yoga Centers Co., Ltd., the company behind the gym chain, also appeared on the Ho Chi Minh City tax authority's list of businesses with outstanding tax liabilities.

Its unpaid taxes exceeded $166,000 as of the September reporting period.

VietNamNet also recorded temporary closures at several California Fitness & Yoga facilities in Hanoi, Nha Trang, Bien Hoa and Da Nang.

The sudden shutdowns have raised concerns among customers who paid upfront for long-term memberships, particularly lifetime packages, about whether they will be able to continue using the services they purchased or recover their money.

On October 19, Dane Fort, founder of California Fitness & Yoga, posted a video on the company's official Facebook page apologizing to members, employees and business partners.

He pledged to eliminate additional charges for certain GroupX and yoga classes and gradually restore services such as workout towels, drinking water and parking assistance.

The company's leadership asked for another 30 days to restructure the business and said it expected to announce a solution for long-term membership packages on November 9.

Yet just days after the public apology, multiple branches unexpectedly closed, further heightening members' concerns.

According to the company's website, California Fitness & Yoga offers several membership tiers, including Platinum, Premier, Iconic and Centuryon.

Standard packages typically cost approximately $19-27 per month when customers pay upfront for memberships lasting between 18 months and two years.

Premium packages, meanwhile, range from several thousand dollars to considerably higher amounts, depending on the membership tier and services included.

Thu Ha